This little pillow was created as a way to “sketch” with yarn, hence the name. I didn’t want a time-intensive project, but I wanted to end up with something beautiful, and I wanted to knit up some color combinations that snagged my imagination. This YarnSketch pillow does it all!

The body of the pillow is knit in a quilted stitch with two different colors. There is no stranding or colorwork involved, though you will slip stitches in many rows. The result is a very attractive lattice that can really show off the beauty of the colors. And it’s a great way to use leftover yarn, as the yardage required is small.

The pillow is knit in the round and bound off with a three-needle bind-off that closes the top of the pillow, leaving only the bottom opening of the pillow to be seamed shut around an inserted pillow form. You can use a pre-made pillow form and knit your pillow to the size of the form, but it’s simple to make your own form! A photo tutorial is provided to demonstrate how to make the pillow form and finish your pillow.

Size

My sample pillow is 7 inches wide and 6.5 inches tall, and I knit it in DK yarn, but this pattern is fully adjustable to whatever size, yarn, and gauge you choose. I have created a an Excel spreadsheet that will automatically calculate the number of stitches and rows you need to work based on the pillow size, yarn, and gauge you want to use, and though I’m not able to attach it to the pattern (because it isn’t a pdf), you can download it by clicking here.

You can, of course, follow my measurements and yarn choices as the pattern is written, but I’d love to see your own custom YarnSketch pillows! Make your pillows as large or as small as you like.

Gauge

The DK gauge for my sample pillow is 23 stitches and 30 rows = 4” (10 cm) in quilted stitch pattern after blocking. Again, instructions and calculations are included to adjust the pattern for a different gauge, yarn, or size. I knit loosely, so keep that in mind; you may need to use larger needles to get the exact gauge I did.

Yarn

This varies based on your yarn choice and gauge, but you’ll need approximately 135 total yards of DK weight yarn (60 yards of MC and 75 yards of CC). Totals include a 15% buffer.

For the sample pillow, I used Blue Skin Yarns Steinbeck DK (80/10/10 Merino/Cashmere/Nylon, 231 yds/211 m per 100g skein) in Spanish Lullabies for MC and Evensong for CC.

Needles

US size 2 1/2 (3mm) and US size 4 (3.5mm) circular needles, or whatever size is needed to achieve the gauge you want. I have found that 16” circulars are a good length.

The quilted stitch tends to be tighter than stockinette stitch, which is why I recommend working the first and last several rows with smaller needles than the needle used to work the main part of the pillow.

You’ll need a third needle for binding off; I suggest using at least one or two sizes smaller than the needles used to knit the pillow.

Notions

• Two stitch markers
• Crochet hook for finishing (optional)
• Tapestry needle

Techniques

• Single increases and decreases

• Slipping stitches

• Three-needle bind-off

• Seaming (examples provided)

• Basic sewing skills (if you choose to make your own pillow form)